Bush admits public discontent with Iraq war, signals change in tactics

U.S. President George W. Bush, at a press conference held in the White House, admitted that many Americans are not satisfied with the situation in Iraq and said he will consider any proposal to achieve victory in Iraq.

"I know many Americans are not satisfied with the situation in Iraq. I am not satisfied either," Bush told the press conference, adding that the events of the past month "have been a serious concern to me and a serious concern to the American people."

A total of 93 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq, the highest of any month this year. The Bush administration has been under mounting pressure to change tactics in the country.

Bush said that he will consider any proposal that leads to victory in Iraq, signaling a willingness to change tactics in the trouble-stricken country.

"My administration will carefully consider any proposal that will help us achieve victory," Bush said.

Bush said an independent panel of Republicans and Democrats, led by former secretary of state James Baker and former Congressman Lee Hamilton, "is taking a fresh look at the situation in Iraq and will make recommendations to help achieve our goals."

"I welcome these efforts," Bush said.

Bush acknowledged that a military solution alone will not end the violence in Iraq.

"A military solution alone will not stop violence. In the end, the Iraqi people and their government will have to make the difficult decisions necessary to solve these problems," Bush said.

"So in addition to refining our military tactics to defeat the enemy, we're also working to help the Iraqi government achieve a political solution that brings together Shi'a and Sunnis and Kurds and other ethnic and religious groups," Bush added.

Bush also expressed confidence on the Iraqi government headed by Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and rejected calls to sharply step up pressure on the Iraqi government.

"We're pressing Iraq's leaders to take bold measures to save their country. We're making it clear that America's patience is not unlimited," Bush said.

"We will not put more pressure on the Iraqi government than it can bear," Bush said, adding that Maliki is the right man to achieve the goal in Iraq.

The United States would stand by Maliki as long as he makes " the hard decisions" to stabilize his war-torn country, Bush said.

Bush also said that the United States is reaching out to Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan and asking them to support the Iraqi government's efforts to persuade Sunni insurgents to lay down their arms and accept national reconciliation.

The press conference was held amid mounting public discontent over the unpopular Iraq war and U.S. casualties in the country. Democrats have called Bush administration's Iraq policy a failure, while a number of Republican lawmakers and party elders have also come forward to express doubts about whether the administration's approach to stabilize Iraq is succeeding and to suggest new strategies.

In the face of increasing pressure from both Democrats and Republicans, Bush is no longer using the phrase "stay the course" when speaking about the Iraq war, in a new effort to emphasize flexibility in his Iraq strategy.

Source: Xinhua